Fighting Beijing's traffic blues

Not long ago Beijing was known, among other things, for its bicycles, made even more popular across the world by the Katie Melua song: There are nine million bicycles in Beijing. The bicycles, however, didn't pose a problem for Chinese policymakers, the rising number of automobiles does. If reports are to be believed, the total number of motor vehicles in Beijing looks set to reach 6 million by 2015.

As one of China's most populous cities, Beijing is continuing to grow with an increasing number of its residents hitting the road. China and its leaders are well aware that the rapid industrialization, which has transformed the fabric of the country, has also led to worsening air pollution and traffic congestion. These are not problems that a global metropolis like Beijing can ignore.

I was in Beijing for the very successful 2008 Olympic Games, after which I traveled to Shenzhen in Guangdong province to attend the Urban Transportation Management Forum, organized by the city's government. In Shenzhen, I talked with the city's planning bureau officials about the experience of imposing congestion charge in London.